The Fifth Omen
by Woodfur
Summary: Waterpaw is the same as any SkyClan apprentice: loyal, energetic, and eager to become a warrior. But soon his destiny will mingle with that of four other cats, each with a unique power that must save them from a looming danger. Can Waterpaw really leave his Clan to save these faraway cats? And what exactly will meet him when he gets there?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**_  
_

_Waterkit dove into a small pile_ of crunchy leaves, sending them flying in all directions. Eagletalon's kits laughed behind him as the pale gray tomkit skidded on the dusty ground. Waterkit stood up, shaking his fluffy pelt, then turned without warning and bowled straight into Redkit. The rusty-furred she-kit squealed in surprise and struggled to shove Waterkit off. Stonekit and Shadowkit leaped on top of Waterkit and he lost his grip on Redkit's back, who wriggled out from under him. The pale kit was lost under their three bodies.

Remembering a move he'd seen Fishpaw using, he let himself go limp under their paws. He tried to copy the way the reddish-brown apprentice had slipped from his mentor's grip, wriggling out like a fish. Then Waterkit turned on his denmates again, teeth bared.

Waterkit couldn't imagine anything better than being a member of SkyClan. He was almost an apprentice, too. He wondered who Badgerstar would choose as his mentor.

Waterkit sighed, wishing his mother could be there. She'd died when he was very young, and he only had vague memories of her. He had no littermates; Eagletalon's litter were around half a moon younger than he was. They were fun enough to play with, but Eagletalon wasn't his mother. At least he had his father, Mudtail. The tabby tom was there now, watching the kits play.

The kit was now pinned down once again by Shadowkit, Redkit, and Stonekit. Ears back, he turned on Shadowkit, trapping the dark gray she-kit under himself and her littermates, who immediately changed course and went for Shadowkit. The she-kit struggled underneath them, but couldn't wriggle free.

"Alright, that's enough," Mudtail called from where he sat watching a fox-length away. "Don't hurt her. Let's find something else to do."

All four kits groaned. "But it's fun!"

"I'm sure it's not the only fun thing you could possibly do," Eagletalon put in from where she lay on a rock nearby. "Be creative!"

Waterkit was glad to have mostly a family. He had a father, a mother, and three siblings, even if they weren't all biological.

"I don't want to be creative. I want to hear a story."

"A story." Eagletalon gazed at Shadowkit. "Does anyone else want to hear a story?"

"Yeah!" Waterkit was the first to agree. Eagletalon's stories were the best. Stonekit and Redkit were both nodding in consensus.

"All right, then. This is a true story, so listen closely.

"Many seasons back, SkyClan lived in a forest many miles downstream from here. But they were not the only Clan. There was another, called ThunderClan, and both Clans followed the same warrior code we follow now. The two Clans lived in peace, occasionally having skirmishes and border fights, everything that a cat can expect from the life of a Clan.

"Until one day, the Twolegs came. They pressed on SkyClan's borders, closing in until there was no territory left. The members of SkyClan tried to ask ThunderClan for help, but they had none to offer. SkyClan was forced to leave the forest, and try to find a new place to live.

"They made it to the gorge, and tried to make their home here. The territory suited them well, but they were no longer a true Clan. Their leader had given up faith in StarClan after being driven out of the forest. And when the rats came, they weren't strong enough to defend themselves against them. I've told you about the rats that attacked us again many seasons later, right? They were the same rats. And they were not easily defeated.

"SkyClan lost the battle. The rats were ruthless, and killed many cats that night. The surviving warriors broke apart, becoming rogues or even kittypets.

"SkyClan died. They were even less of a Clan than they had been, giving up on not only StarClan but on their own Clanmates. And so they stayed that way, for too many seasons to count. The remnants of the Clan died, and their kits forgot who they were. ThunderClan had forgotten they ever existed.

"Until one day, StarClan called on the current leader of ThunderClan. His name was Firestar. StarClan told him the story of SkyClan, and begged him for help to reassemble the lost Clan. And Firestar made the journey of many miles to help him.

"Firestar's job wasn't easy. The descendants of the Clan didn't know who they were. They were just kittypets with very strong haunches. But he managed to get them together. He told them about the warrior code. Some of the cats decided to be a part of the Clan; others didn't. But the ones that did, learned quickly. Firestar taught them what they needed to know, all about the honor and selflessness of being part of a Clan.

"Firestar couldn't stay forever. He had a life back in the forest where he came from. But before he left, he appointed Leafstar, our Clan's very first leader after being reunited here in the gorge. Her name will always be remembered. But not so much as Firestar's, the cat who saved our Clan."

"Wow," Waterkit breathed as Eagletalon finished her story. He'd always thought SkyClan was the only Clan. Now that he knew there was another, he wondered about them. What were they like? Did StarClan watch them, too? What was the forest like, where they lived?

But Waterkit didn't ask any of these questions. Instead, he asked, "What happened to ThunderClan? Are they still there?"

Eagletalon rested her muzzle on Waterkit's head. "I don't know, dear. I don't know."


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_"From this day forward you will_ be known as Waterpaw. Snowspots, you are ready for your first apprentice, and I trust you will pass down all you know to Waterpaw."

"Waterpaw! Waterpaw!" The pale gray apprentice closed his eyes and let his Clanmates' voices swirl around him. It felt amazing to finally be a SkyClan apprentice. He glanced to the pale blue sky and vowed that he would be the greatest warrior SkyClan had ever seen.

"Hey Waterpaw!" One voice stood out from the others, and he realized it came from Snowspots, right next to him. She had pale gray fur with white spots, and bright orange eyes.

"What?"

"How about a tour of the territory?" his new mentor suggested.

"Yes!" Waterpaw squeaked in excitement. His very first day of training as an apprentice! He ran ahead of his mentor and bounded halfway up the gorge before turning back. "Come on!"

Snowspots purred in amusement. "I'm coming." She trotted after the young apprentice and took the lead, and Waterpaw followed her the rest of the way up the zigzag path and out of the camp.

Once they were out of the shelter of the rocky gorge, the wind picked up, whistling over the open territory at the top of the slope and buffeting Waterpaw's fur. He dug his claws into the coarse grass and followed his mentor toward the line of sharp-edged Twoleg nests.

"Are we going into Twolegplace?" he wondered aloud.

"No, we stop long before we get there. This territory isn't much use for hunting, so we just enclose a strip of it so we have a pathway alongside the gorge. It's not usually quite this windy. Okay, right here is where we set the first marking." She'd stopped at a small dead tree that smelled strongly of SkyClan; its bare branches were clattering in the wind.

She set the scent marker on the tree's roots, renewing the smell that clung to it. Then she led Waterpaw on, across the windy ridge above the gorge, and toward the forested section of the territory.

Enclosed by the trees and the sparse undergrowth, the forest was not nearly as windy as the hill. Waterpaw breathed in deeply, taking in the fresh smell of the forest, the warm scents of prey, and so many fascinating unfamiliar scents all around. Birdsong resonated through the tall trees, and there were tiny scuttlings as squirrels scampered up their trunks. The leaves rustled overhead, their movement creating a pretty swirling pattern in the sunlight dappled on the grass.

"The next marker is right here," Snowspots meowed. "Would you like to do the honors?"

Waterpaw went up to the tree she had indicated, spraying the trunk as his mentor had done and adding his own scent to the pungent buildup of his Clan's mixed odors. His first contribution to the Clan. He trotted away in satisfaction, following closely behind his mentor.

Waterpaw was still full of energy, impatient to move faster. He forced himself to match Snowspots' moderate pace, though his paws still twitched restlessly.

SkyClan's territory was far bigger than Waterpaw had anticipated. It seemed to take most of the morning to make a loop around all the borders, though when Waterpaw glanced at the sun he saw that it had only moved a few degrees in the sky. He didn't mind that it seemed to take longer than it did, though; he wanted to make the most out of his first day as an apprentice.

The wind had died down considerably by the time they got back around to what Waterpaw realized was the same expanse where they'd fought the powerful wind that morning. It was quite peaceful without the current sweeping across it. Waterpaw glanced back at the now-quiet meadow before plunging down toward the camp.

It was a relief to be back in the friendly atmosphere in the gorge after exploring the new and unfamiliar territory above it. Waterpaw dashed down the last section of the zigzag pathway back into the camp. Eagletalon's kits hurried up to greet him. They weren't that much younger than he was, but they wouldn't be apprentices for another half moon.

"What'd you see?" That was Stonekit; his green eyes were wide with eagerness to hear what the forest was like.

"I got to tour the whole territory!" Waterkit bragged to his adoptive littermates. "It was awesome."

"Lucky," Shadowkit muttered. "We're almost six moons, anyway—why couldn't Badgerstar make us all apprentices at the same time?"

"Because he likes me better than you," Waterpaw teased.

"No he doesn't!" Stonekit leaped at Waterpaw, bowling him over, his littermates following. Waterpaw was immediately buried under the three of them, but he acted like he had some awesome battle move planned. "Careful, I know how to fight now!"

"No, you don't." Waterpaw had forgotten Snowspots was still watching behind him. "Don't bite off more than you can chew."

"All right, all right," the pale gray apprentice muttered. He snapped his head eagerly back toward the three kits. "Hey guys, want to hear about the dog I met while I was out?"

"Totally!"

"Let me go, then."

The kits jumped off of him, and he scrambled to his paws.

"Just kidding, there was no dog." Then he took off running.

Later, Waterpaw wandered to the apprentices' cave. It had been a long day, but a great one. He padded into the shadowy den to find Robinpaw already curled up in one of the nests. He tried to step around her quietly, but she raised he head as he did.

"Hi, Waterpaw," she meowed drowsily. "I made you a nest already, over there." She flicked her tail toward one of the nests, lined thickly with fresh moss and bracken.

"Thanks," Waterpaw mewed gratefully. "You didn't have to."

Robinpaw shrugged. "But I did." Then she tucked her muzzle firmly under one paw to show she was going back to sleep.

The pale-furred circled in his new nest a few times before settling down on the soft moss. He was surprised he wasn't tired after the long day's training—he almost never was as a kit, but he'd expected that to change when his training started. He shifted restlessly in his nest until at last sleep drifted over him.

Waterpaw was dreaming. He was on a wide slab of rock, thick mist swirling around him. Then some of it cleared, and he realized he was standing on the Skyrock. He'd never seen it from the top before.

"Greetings."

Waterpaw jumped. He spun around to see who had spoken, and saw a slender cream-and-tabby she-cat with bright yellow eyes. He'd recognize her anywhere! "Owlstare!"

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Waterpaw's mother stepped forward and nuzzled his shoulder. He felt a purr rising in his throat. This was what he hadn't had in over five moons.

But it was only moments before she drew back, the affection in her yellow eyes replaced by seriousness. "You must go on a journey to seek your destiny," she hissed.

"What do you mean?" Waterpaw couldn't understand why his mother had so suddenly turned grave. "What destiny?"

"You are part of a prophecy," she rasped. "You cannot stay in SkyClan. Your destiny is to help another Clan."

"Another Clan?" _Does she one from Eagletalon's story? _"What have I got to do with them?"

"You must meet four other cats. Each of them, including you, has a special ability that no other cat will ever have. The prophecy states that you will help them to save the forest where they live."

"But what about SkyClan?"

"Your destiny is far greater than your role in SkyClan. You must find the the other Clan, and help four other cats fulfill the prophecy."

"What prophecy?"

Owlstare ignored Waterpaw's question. "Travel due north for many miles. You destination is by a lake."

"But...Eagletalon said they lived downstream."

"They did, when Firestar came. But they have long since moved out, when the forest was destroyed. Perhaps the Twolegs finally caught up with them after SkyClan was driven out."

"So..." Waterpaw struggled to process this new information. "I have to leave the Clan, to find another Clan who I didn't even know existed until a moon ago, and fulfill a prophecy with four other cats using a 'special ability' I probably don't have."

"Exactly." Owlstare nodded. Then her eyes turned serious again, but this time it was more like...anxiety. Like a mother's worry for her son.

A starry mist had begun to swirl around her, and her voice was muted when she spoke. "Always have faith in yourself, little one. One day you will be remembered by every cat. Go well, my dearest, and know how much I love you." Her voice faded out as she said her final words of farewell, and moment later she began to fade from view. With a last nod, she disappeared completely.

The dream itself was darkening as well, warning Waterpaw that it was almost over. There was nothing left to do here anyway, now that his mother was gone.

What had Owlstare meant when she said that he possessed an ability that no other cat had? What was it? And why did he have to leave his Clanmates to fulfill a prophecy for some cats he didn't even know?

Waterpaw sighed. His normal, carefree life in SkyClan had suddenly become very complicated.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_Waterpaw stretched in his nest, squinting_ against the sunlight slanting into the apprentices' cave. The den was empty, but the fresh scent in Fishpaw's nest told him he hadn't been out for long. Waterpaw sat up in his nest and began drawing a paw over his ear.

Waterpaw finished grooming and padded to the cave entrance. He could see his Clanmates gathered around Ravenflight near the Rockpile; though he couldn't hear what the deputy was saying, he knew she must be sorting patrols. A few cats were sharing fresh-kill near the edge of the camp, and Waterpaw could see Snowspots among them, sharing tongues with Mottlefur. He trotted down the zigzag path toward his mentor.

He reached the bottom and was preparing to go over to join them when he heard Duskflower's voice behind him, coming from the medicine den a fox-length away.

"She said one of our Clanmates was involved with a prophecy with cats from the other Clan, where Firestar came from."

Waterpaw stopped dead as his dream from last night came flooding back into his memory. That was _him! _He strained to hear the rest of the conversation.

"And she didn't say who?" That was Badgerstar's gruff mew.

"No, she said the chosen cat would know who they were. I don't know how, though." The medicine cat's mew was level—in contrast to Waterpaw, who was bursting with anticipation.

"Did she—" Badgerstar broke off. "There's some cat listening." He poked his head out of the cave. "Waterpaw! What do you think you're doing?"

Waterpaw shrunk under his glare; Badgerstar was known as a fierce leader, and he had a bad side you didn't want to see. He gulped. "I'm sorry, Badgerstar—"

"Well, you should be! Nothing about this conversation concerns you!"

Waterpaw took a deep breath. Now was the time to say it. "Actually...kind of it does," he mewed timidly.

"What do you mean?" Duskflower bustled out of her den. "What do you mean?" she repeated, not thinking of anything better to say.

"Well, I had this...dream last night..."

"Out with it," Badgerstar growled.

Duskflower glared at the black-and-white furred leader—something only she could ever get away with. "Let him take as long as he needs."

Badgerstar glared back, but didn't say anything more as Waterpaw nervously continued with his story.

"Well, Owlstare came to me...and she told me I was part of a prophecy. She said I needed to help ThunderClan, and fulfill a prophecy with four other cats." _This is no good! Anything I'm saying now, I could have heard from their conversation! _

Badgerstar clearly thought the same. "He's just repeating what he heard," he scoffed. "He never had that dream."

"...And she said I had some special power, and so did the other four cats. And that I had to head due north to find them," Waterpaw finished, hoping the new details he'd recalled would convince the leader and medicine cat that he'd really had the dream.

Badgerstar looked at Duskflower, as though looking for confirmation. She nodded.

"That's exactly what she said. I think he's telling the truth."

"If you've got some kind of special power," Badgerstar meowed to Waterpaw, "perhaps you'd be kind enough to show us."

Waterpaw stared up at the leader in dismay. "I don't know what it is!"

"That's alright," Duskflower soothed, shooting a glare at Badgerstar as though daring him to make another remark. Waterpaw marveled at her courage.

"But how am I supposed to fulfill a prophecy when I don't know what my power is?"

"That's what we're going to find out."

"So I can really go on that journey?"

Badgerstar spoke up. "Not yet. It's your first day as an apprentice; you need to learn to defend yourself first."

Waterpaw felt his paws itching as though to march out of camp this minute, but "not yet" was promising. He hoped that it wouldn't be too long—and that Badgerstar wouldn't change his mind. "Okay," he meowed. "So what do I do for now?"

"For _right _now, go find something to eat. We'll discuss this later."

"Okay." Waterpaw dipped his head to the broad-shouldered leader and trotted toward the pile of prey. Even with leaf-fall approaching, it was well-stocked. They'd had a great season for prey this year. Waterpaw chose a thrush and brought it to the edge of the clearing, thoughts of going out for training completely pushed from his mind.

He tore a mouthful of feathers from the bird to expose the raw pink meat underneath, and took a bite of the juicy flesh. He hoped that the good hunting would keep up for a bit longer. Hopefully leaf-bare wouldn't be too harsh this year.

Then he had a guilty thought. _I might not be around for leaf-bare this year. _Could he really abandon his Clanmates to go off into the unknown? He didn't even know these cats who supposedly needed his help!

He recalled Owlstare's words: "Your destiny is far greater than your role in the Clan." But what could be greater than his loving Clanmates, his duty to SkyClan, the vast territory that was now his to explore?

Suddenly an achingly familiar scent wreathed around him. "Oh, Waterpaw," his mother murmured in his ear, "more than you know. The world is far bigger than SkyClan's borders, and it's your job to seek your destiny outside them." Then the familiar presence disappeared all too soon.

"Wait!" Waterpaw called into empty air. There were so many things he had to ask her.

"Who?" The voice sounded behind him, making him jump a mile high.

The pale-furred apprentice spun around to find himself face-to-face with his father. He relaxed. "Mudtail! You startled me."

The brown tabby warrior's whiskers twitched. "I could tell. Who were you talking to?"

"Oh, um—nobody."

Mudtail gave him a 'do you really think I'm that stupid, now what are you hiding' look. "It didn't sound like nobody."

Waterpaw shifted uncomfortably under his yellow gaze. He wasn't sure why exactly, but he didn't feel like it would be a good idea to tell any cat about his dream. _But this wasn't the dream, _he reminded himself. _There's no reason to lie about seeing my mother. _

"Owlstare," he mewed.

His father's gaze softened. "I miss your mother as much as you do," he meowed softly, "but she's dead now. We have to move on."

"But she's in StarClan now! I was talking to her!"

"What'd she say?"

"Umm..." _I knew it'd be a death trap! What do I tell him? _"That's kind of between me and her," he tried.

"Oh. Well, I'm glad you saw her."

Waterpaw couldn't read his father's expression. Did he believe he'd seen his mother at all? At least he wasn't pressing for details. Still, Waterpaw was eager to change the subject. "I need to go find Snowspots."

"Of course. Don't forget your thrush, though," Mudtail added, prodding the half-eaten piece of fresh-kill at Waterpaw's feet.

Waterpaw had completely forgotten about the thrush. He quickly gulped down the remaining meat and bounded over to his mentor, who was chatting with Yarrowflower. She turned her head as the pale gray apprentice approached.

"Ready to go?" she asked.

"Yep."

"Let's go, then." Snowspots trotted toward the zigzag path out of camp, stopping for a moment to make sure Waterpaw was coming. The apprentice bounded up the side of the gorge after his mentor, pausing to scratch his ear with his hind paw.

"How about I teach you some battle moves?" Snowspots suggested, leaping lightly onto the last rocky ledge and out onto the open ridge. "What do you say?"

"Yes!" Waterpaw scrambled up after her, all thoughts of his dream or the looming journey driven from his mind. The meadow was quiet today, the cool air undisturbed by any breeze. He followed his mentor along the ridge, a few fox-lengths from the edge of the cliff.

They reached the forest quickly; the trees closed around them, the sunlight illuminating their bright orange and yellow leaves overhead and dappling the leaf-strewn ground. Waterpaw could hear a starling's distant alarm call. A bush exploded into a flurry of motion as a flock of sparrows heard the cats' movement through the forest.

"Okay, let's stop here," Snowspots meowed after a while. "Attack me."

"Just like that?"

The gray-and-white she-cat nodded. "I'll see what you can do, and then give you suggestions on how to improve your technique."

"Okay." Waterpaw narrowed his eyes and darted for her shoulder, leaping at her in an attempt to hook her fur in his half-sheathed claws, but she darted to one side and lashed out a paw, hooking Waterpaw's paws from under him. He landed face-first and lay sprawled in the dust, coughing.

"You okay?" Snowspots checked.

Waterpaw nodded and scrambled to his paws. "Yeah, I'm—" He sneezed loudly. "I'm fine."

"Good. Now, the main problem is that you were looking right where you were aiming. In a battle, your enemy would know where you're going to attack and be ready. And that's the other issue: don't give me time to think."

The gray-furred tom nodded, trying to take in all the information at once. _Okay, I can do that. _He looked at his mentor's flank but aimed for her shoulder as he raced at her. Then something occurred to him: _This is what she just told me to do. _This _is what she's expecting. So what if I do the opposite of what she says?_

He changed course at the last moment and aimed for her flank, where he was looking. Snowspots had hopped out of the way of where he'd been going, but he slammed into her side and had his jaws around her scruff in moments.

"Good," she panted. "I wasn't expecting that."

Waterpaw beamed. "I knew you'd be expecting me to go somewhere else, since it's what you just told me to do. So I did the opposite."

"That was good thinking. Of course, your enemy hopefully won't already know what you're going to do, so that won't always work."

"I know. But the main point right now is to beat _you, _isn't it?"

"True," Snowspots purred. "Alright, let's see what else you can do. Here's a move you might find useful..."


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_"Phew!" Snowspots collapsed on the ground_ at the end of the long day's training. The wind had picked up considerably. "I'm worn out, how about you?"

"No..." Was it strange that Waterpaw wasn't the slightest bit tired after a full day of battle training? _Definitely, _he decided. But why was it that he was never tired?

"You aren't?" Snowspots' voice betrayed her slight surprise. "I can't imagine anything better than curling up in my nest right now. Maybe I'm just getting old." They both knew it was a joke—Snowspots had only been a warrior for a few moons. But Waterpaw couldn't figure out why he still wasn't tired.

Then a thought occurred to him. _The prophecy? _Could it have something to do with this? He didn't have time to wonder as Snowspots continued to talk.

"Well anyway, you were excellent today. At this rate you'll be a warrior before you know it. I'm amazed how well you did that leap-and-twist."

"Uhh, thanks."

Waterpaw was hit with a gust of cold air as they went from the forest to the exposed hillside. It was even windier out here, the gale threatening to sweep Waterpaw off his paws this time. He dug his claws into the ground as the wind buffeted his fur.

"Storm coming," Snowspots called over the torrent. "Let's hurry on back to camp."

Waterpaw obeyed gladly, picking up his pace. He stalked along the ridge, his head down and his claws fighting for a grip on the earth.

The first icy drops fell just as he was bounding down the trail back into camp, his mentor close behind. Not a lot of the Clan was outside on a day like this, but the cats who were there hurried to get back in their dens as the rain began to fall. Snowspots ducked into the warriors' cave with a last nod to Waterpaw, and the pale gray tom hurried down the path to the apprentices' den.

Robinpaw was already huddled in her nest. Her dark gray pelt was a mess, stained with a few drops of the rain that was already coming down steadily by now. She was rasping her tongue over it now, untangling her matted fur with her teeth. She looked up as Waterpaw entered.

"Brr!" she exclaimed. "It's nasty out there, isn't it? I hope the wind doesn't blow too much rain in here." She was right: the wind was driving some of the freezing water into the corner of the cave, right onto the nest that used to be Pebblestorm's. "At least most of the cave is dry."

"Where's Fishpaw?" Waterpaw asked. The red-furred apprentice was nowhere to be seen. "He's not still out training, is he?" Just the thought of being out in this weather made him shiver.

"I'm not sure. Maybe he and Bluefang got caught in the storm. I hope they can find some shelter."

"Yeah, I'm sure they'll be fine." Waterpaw hoped he sounded more sure than he felt. What if they weren't?

"Your fur's a mess." Robinpaw was just finishing grooming her own pelt. "Get in here and get dried off."

"Watch out." Waterpaw shook the water from his pale gray fur, sending water droplets spinning in every direction. Robinpaw ducked away from the freezing raindrops that showered the cave.

The young apprentice ignored the dark gray she-cat's hiss of displeasure and sat down in his own nest to begin grooming his pale fur. He looked up as flash of lightning illuminated the den, followed by an enormous clap of thunder. Waterpaw pressed himself flat to the floor and squeezed his eyes shut, his ears flattened. It seemed to drag out for moons until it finally gave way to the sound of the howling wind. All SkyClan cats hated thunder.

All except Robinpaw, it seemed. "It's alright," she mewed when she could make herself heard. "It's just thunder. I'm going to sleep. You must be tired too, I heard you did battle training today."

"Er—right." Waterpaw didn't see the point in explaining again that he _wasn't_ tired—especially when he _couldn't _explain it. Instead, he lay down in his nest, trying to get comfortable. But with the storm, on top of his restless nature, sleeping was almost impossible. Just as he was finally beginning to get relaxed, Fishpaw came in.

"Great StarClan, it's awful out there!" He shook the rain from his reddish pelt, showering the whole den with water droplets. Robinpaw raised her head crossly.

"Don't be quiet or anything, because then some of us might actually be able to sleep."

"Sorry," her brother apologized.

"You want to tell us where you were?" Waterpaw asked.

"Oh, yeah, Bluefang sprained his paw, so going was pretty slow. He'll be fine, though," Fishpaw added.

Waterpaw nodded absently. Something had just caught his eye as another bolt of lightning illuminated the stormy sky. He could have sworn, in that fraction of a second, that he'd seen the silhouette of a cat on top of the cliff. Who could be out there at this time, and at the top of the cliff, no less?

"Guys, look. There's a cat out there, just standing at the top of the ridge."

Lightning split the sky again, but there was no sign of the figure Waterpaw was sure he'd seen. The young apprentice prayed that, whoever that had been, they'd found some sense and gotten off the rocky ledge. _You wouldn't catch me up there even without the lightning and the slippery rocks._

"I don't see any cat," Robinpaw mewed.

"They've gone now. StarClan knows what they were doing up there."

"I hope they've found some shelter, then," Fishpaw replied. "Any idea who it could have been?"

"None at all. I hope they got down by themselves, and didn't fall."

"No kidding."

"Isn't this a fascinating conversation," Robinpaw interrupted. "I'm going to sleep now."

"I'm pretty tired too," Fishpaw admitted. "Aren't you?"

"Well—no, not really."

"Sure you're not. G'night."

Waterpaw felt a trace of resentment at Fishpaw for not believing him, but he couldn't really blame the reddish-brown tom. After all, why _shouldn't _he be tired? Not that it was a big deal anyway. The pale gray tom curled up in his nest and shut his eyes, trying to block out the sound of the thunder. But it was no use; he just wasn't going to get to sleep tonight.

Waterpaw got up and padded to the mouth of the cave. He stared out at the stormy sky, letting his mind drift. At first he wondered why he wasn't tired, then he thought of the prophecy. And then, the topic he could avoid no longer: their possible connection.

"What kind of power would that be?" he wondered aloud. "It seems so useless."

He sensed a sudden presence: the warm smell of him mother. "Owlstare?"

"It will be far more useful than you realize, little one. Have faith in your own ability. One day you'll find just how valuable it is."

"But what's the _point? _What's the use in staying awake all night?"

But Owlstare's scent had vanished. An enormous clap of thunder made Waterpaw flinch, and suddenly he felt father from his mother than ever.

"Why did you have to die? You could be here right now, to comfort me, tell me it's just a storm, that everything's going to be all right. Instead you're some wispy spirit reminding me that I have to save four Clans I've barely heard of." His words were whisked away by the wind, but Waterpaw didn't care. He didn't know who he was talking to anyway. All he knew was that StarClan had made a mistake. They'd chosen the wrong cat; whatever Owlstare said, he couldn't be the one in the prophecy.

He waited for her familiar scent to wreathe around him, for her warm breath in his ear and her words of assurance that he was more powerful than he thought. But they never came.

"Where are you?" he wailed into the stormy night, his words lost to another massive clap of thunder. "Have even _you _given up on me now?"

The only reply was a dog's distant baying and the sound of the howling wind.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_The sky was growing pale with_ the first light of dawn, and Waterpaw heard the first lone birds beginning to sing. The storm had eased off sometime after moonhigh, and with it, Waterpaw's fears, but still he found it hard to believe that he could fulfill a prophecy by not being tired.

The apprentice stretched his legs one by one, stiff from his vigil that night. As he bent down to groom his matted pelt, he heard a stirring behind him and turned to look.

"You're _still _up?" Fishpaw mewed in wonder. His yellow eyes were dull with drowsiness, but still betrayed his surprise at seeing Waterpaw there.

"Yeah. I couldn't sleep." _You'd better get used to it, because I can _never _sleep. _In fact, Waterpaw still wasn't tired after sitting here all night. _Maybe it _is _my power, but it still isn't a very useful one._

Fishpaw gave a grunt that might have been indifference, and tucked his muzzle firmly under his tail. His breathing slowed within moments and Waterpaw could tell he'd gone back to sleep.

_Fine, be that way, _the apprentice thought, knowing there wasn't really any reason his denmate _should _care. Instead, he went back to grooming himself, rasping his tongue quickly over his tangled fur.

He heard pawsteps on the path outside the cave, and turned to see the dawn patrol heading up the path, Snowspots among them. He finished grooming in a hurry and bounded after the patrol, catching up as they reached the top of the gorge.

"Can I come?" he begged Snowspots.

His mentor turned around, her orange eyes revealing her surprise at seeing him up so early. "Waterpaw? What are you dong here?"

The rest of the patrol had stopped too, and Waterpaw suddenly felt self-conscious under their stares. "I want to come," he repeated in a small voice.

Snowspots looked at Nestpelt, who must have been leading the patrol. The light brown warrior just shrugged. "He can come if you think it's okay," he meowed.

Waterpaw's mentor sighed. "Come on," she meowed. "Stay close and do what Nestpelt says."

"Thank you!" Waterpaw squealed, bounding after the patrol as they bounded up the last ledge and onto the ridge above the camp.

The patrol moved quickly along the borders, only stopping for a moment to refresh each scent marker. Waterpaw almost had to run to keep up, but it was no trouble; he could never get tired from running. _Maybe it could have some uses after all, _he thought hopefully.

They sprayed the dead tree and stumpy bush that marked this section of the territory, then went on into the cover of the trees. Waterpaw breathed a sigh of relief; he didn't mind open spaces, but not _that _open.

They continued along the border, moving efficiently and spraying each scent marker with barely a pause. They moved so quickly that Waterpaw barely noticed the scent clinging to a bush.

The apprentice stopped and sniffed the air again. Definitely intruders...and that wasn't cat-scent. "Guys? I think I found something."

The three warriors stopped and turned around. Once again Waterpaw fought the urge to shrink under their stares.

"What have you found?" Snowspots asked.

Lilystem spoke up. "I think I just caught a trace of fox-scent." She padded cautiously forward and sniffed the bush where Waterpaw had noticed the the strange scent. She looked up. "Definitely fox," she reported. "It's not strong, but it's reasonably fresh—maybe from yesterday."

Nestpelt padded closer and sniffed the bush as well. "You're right," he meowed. He turned to Waterpaw. "That was well scented. I can't believe none of us noticed that. But it'll probably have gone by now, StarClan willing."

"Well, should we keep on?" Lilystem mewed.

"Yeah." Nestpelt waited as Snowspots paused to scratch her ear vigorously with her hind leg, then led the patrol farther through the forest. This was how it was supposed to be. Waterpaw breathed in the scents of the forest, all thoughts of the prophecy driven from his mind. He was just a SkyClan apprentice, patrolling the borders with his Clanmates. He breathed in again, drawing the warm prey-scents over his tongue. _But this isn't a hunting patrol, _he reminded himself. He dashed ahead, not having realized he'd stopped walking and the patrol was now a tree-length ahead.

They continued along the perimeter of SkyClan's territory; Waterpaw was surprised at how much shorter the distance seemed compared to the first time he'd been this way a few days ago. He could already recognize most of the landmarks, too. His heart ached as he remembered that he might have to leave this place soon, the territory he was just beginning to explore. _StarClan, _he wailed inwardly, _why couldn't you have chosen a different cat? Anyone but me?_

"Waterpaw," a familiar voice murmured in his ear.

"Owlstare!" His relief that came with his mother's presence was swamped by anger as he recalled last might. "Where were you last night? Why weren't you there when I actually needed you?"

"Sometimes, when you need me most, I will seem to be absent. But in truth I will be with you then more than ever. I can't keep coming back this often, and I must go now. Just know that I'm always here."

Before Waterpaw could reply, Owlstare's scent had already vanished. Why couldn't she stick around long enough for him to ask some questions, just once? Waterpaw sighed and dashed ahead to catch up with the patrol again. Why did his life have to be so complicated?

"Waterpaw? Badgerstar wants to see you in his den." Duskflower's visit surprised him, and he quickly finished the sparrow he was eating and hurried to the leader's den.

Badgerstar was waiting for him, along with Duskflower, Snowspots, and, to his surprise, Windfur. When the young apprentice arrived, Badgerstar gave him a nod. "Hello, Waterpaw."

Waterpaw dipped his head respectfully to the leader, hoping the muscular black-and-white tom would just get on with it.

"We've already told your mentor about the prophecy," Duskflower began.

_Again with the prophecy. _Waterpaw sighed. Couldn't he forget about the prophecy for a few minutes at a time?

"Since we first spoke, StarClan has confirmed that you are the cat who will fulfill the prophecy," the medicine cat continued, "but still gave no clues as to what your power is. Do you have any idea what it is, Waterpaw?"

Waterpaw gulped. "Well, actually, yes. I...I can't get tired, no matter what I do or how long I stay up."

"You can't get tired." Badgerstar sounded distinctly unimpressed. "Is that all?"

"Well, think about it." Waterpaw found himself defending the power he had resented when he first learned of it. "I can keep watch all night and not be weakened in the morning. And I could probably run across the whole territory without needing to take a break."

"That's true," Badgerstar admitted.

Waterpaw was just noticing that neither of the two warriors had said anything up to this point when Windfur spoke up. "So where does this involve me?"

"Well, I believe it involves you even more now that we know what Waterpaw's power is. The idea is to speed up his training as much as possible by giving him a second mentor. Now that we know what his power is, I think I may even give him a third. That is, if that's okay with you, Waterpaw? I don't want to put too much stress on you."

_Too late for that, _Waterpaw couldn't help thinking. "No," he replied. "That sounds fine."

"So...are we telling the Clan what we're doing, or not?" Snowspots asked. "You said not to tell any cat, but I can't really imagine hiding it for long if we're giving an apprentice two extra mentors."

"True," Badgerstar meowed. "And I don't think we _will _be trying to keep it quiet anymore. I think I'll call a Clan meeting once I decide what to tell them."

Waterpaw sighed. Somehow his mentor knowing about the prophecy made it seem so much more real. And soon the whole Clan would know about it. _So much for a partially normal life. It's going to be absolute chaos from here on in. _


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_"Let all cats old enough to_ catch their own prey join beneath the Rockpile for a Clan meeting!" Badgerstar's yowl rang out in the afternoon air, echoing on the rocks. Within moments the cats began appearing from their dens and gathering in the gorge.

Waterpaw's paws trembled as he knew what Badgerstar had to say. Soon the whole Clan would know that he was different. A freak.

"Cats of SkyClan," Badgerstar began as soon as the Clan had assembled, "you have all heard tales of the other Clan far away, ThunderClan. The place where the great leader Firestar came from, and where his descendants still live. It seems the destiny of one SkyClan cat will soon mingle with theirs."

Murmurs passed among the gathered cats.

"ThunderClan?"

"Firestar?"

"What've they got to do with us?"

Badgerstar ignored the speculative mumbles of the SkyClan warriors and went on, "StarClan has spoken of a prophecy in which a member of SkyClan will fulfill a prophecy with four others from this distant Clan. This cat has a special power which will help them save the Clan. And this cat is Waterpaw."

"Waterpaw?"

"What kind of power could _he _have?"

Waterpaw ducked down to avoid the stares of every one of his Clanmates. He wished the dusty ground would open up and swallow him. If they were going to stare, couldn't they be polite about it?

"Waterpaw's power is that he can never get tired. He can stay awake for days on end and run across the entire territory unfazed."

More mutters of speculation and scorn met this announcement.

"Soon, Waterpaw will go on a journey to find the other Clan," the leader continued. "He will need as much training as possible in that time. For that reason, I am going to take advantage of his power and give him night training. Snowspots will continue his training during the day, but Windfur, Ashbreeze and Briartail will trade off to train him by night."

"What I want to know is, why should we be concerned about ThunderClan?" Stonegaze yowled. "They live miles away from here. We haven't had anything to do with them in longer than any living cat can remember. Why should we care what happens to them?"

"Why _shouldn't _we?" Badgerstar countered. "If StarClan says that we must help these cats, then we must. Firestar went on a journey to revive SkyClan, and he was his Clan's leader. If he could leave his position to rebuild a long-lost Clan, we can send a cat to help his descendants if they're in trouble."

Stonegaze grunted impatiently and sat down again.

"Life in the rest of the Clan will go on as normal. But you all deserve to know what's going on. As soon as Waterpaw can fully defend himself, he and all four of these cats will go on a journey to find ThunderClan."

"You can't just send one of our apprentices out on his own, and you also can't afford the warriors you would need to send along with him." Waterpaw couldn't tell where this protest came from.

"My decision is final," Badgerstar growled, growing impatient. "You can all be grateful I bothered to tell you what's going on, but I didn't ask for your input. This meeting is over."

The meeting broke up with several of the cats looking disgruntled. Badgerstar's outburst was nothing too unusual; he was a leader with a short temper most of the time. But Waterpaw wished the Clan meeting had gone on longer. The moment Badgerstar bounded down from the Rockpile, every pair of eyes turned to the pale gray apprentice. With his head down to avoid meeting any cat's gaze, Waterpaw hurried toward the apprentices' den.

Not that that was any safer. Fishpaw had gotten there first. The cats in the clearing, at least, had been asking him questions, curious to know whether it was true or demanding why they hadn't known. But Fishpaw just stared. The silence was deafening.

Waterpaw attempted to turn his back on Fishpaw, trying to ignore his denmate's stare by busying himself with the knots in his fur. But Fishpaw's yellow eyes bore into his fur with a force that he could physically feel, and after a while he couldn't take it anymore.

"Could you quit it?" he demanded irritably.

"Sorry," Fishpaw apologized, turning his head away.

Waterpaw breathed a huffy sigh and went back to grooming his pelt. Moments later, he became aware of the fact that he was being stared at again. He turned his head sharply to Fishpaw again, who immediately looked away.

_I'm done with this. _Waterpaw got up and left the den without a word, each paw stabbing the dusty ground as he bounded stiffly up the cliff to the top of the gorge.

Perhaps a run would make him feel better. A run always made him feel better. Bunching his muscles, Waterpaw bounded away. He didn't know or care where he was going; all he knew was that he was running. He had been right – running _was _making him feel a bit better. He blocked out all the sensations around him, aware only of the smooth movements of his muscles, the feel of his paws slamming the ground, and the wind through his fur.

Suddenly he caught a scent on said wind. A familiar scent, and close by. He scrambled to a stop.

"Hey, son," meowed an all-too-familiar voice.

Waterpaw turned around slowly. "Hello, Mudtail," he greeted his father reluctantly. He liked his father, most of the time. But today he just wanted to be alone. Mudtail was likely to be more persistent than any cat; he would feel more justified, being Waterpaw's father.

"Tell me about this prophecy," Mudtail prompted, continuing to walk and sweeping Waterpaw along with him and though it were a perfectly normal day and they weren't discussing the huge prophecy that he had only just heard about.

"Do I have to?" Waterpaw didn't want to be rude to his father, but if Mudtail mistakenly thought Waterpaw _wanted _to discuss the prophecy, that should be corrected, because the pale-furred apprentice definitely didn't.

Mudtail sighed. "Well, no, not if you don't want to. I won't make you. But you know that if you ever do, I'm here whenever."

Waterpaw's early relationship with his father had been an odd one. For the first moon of his life, he had had no idea who his father was, nor had any other cat. But after Owlstare's death, Mudtail had revealed himself as her mate, wanting to be more of a father to Waterpaw now that he had no mother. Surprisingly, Waterpaw felt no bitterness toward him for not doing anything until after his mother had died. He was just glad he was here now.

"Thanks, Dad," he mewed. "I will."

Thinking about the early stages of his kithood, he realized, not for the first time, that he really had no idea how Owlstare had died. He had been very young at the time; all he could remember from that day was the panic that the death had caused. But whenever he tried to ask some cat about it, he never got a straight answer. They would find some way to avoid answering, leave quickly, and Waterpaw would be left not knowing any more about his mother's death than before, other than the fact that it was somehow a secret, which, of course, made him even more curious to find out the truth.

What if he asked Mudtail about it now? He knew it was pointless. His father had been one of the first cats he'd asked, and he hadn't given any more away than any other cat. But maybe now, isolated from the business in the camp, he could get some answers...it was worth a try, anyway.

But Mudtail spoke first. "All right. Well, if you want to be alone, I guess I'll head back to camp, then."

Waterpaw almost changed his mind. He couldn't make himself call his father back now. But he did.

"Wait — Mudtail?"

"Yes?"

Waterpaw gulped. "How — how did Owlstare die?"

Something flickered in Mudtail's eyes. Was it . . . fear? The dark tom blinked it away. He sighed. "Sit down, son."

Waterpaw obeyed. Was he about to get an answer? he wondered hopefully.

Mudtail sighed again. "Son, I . . . I'd like to tell you what happened. I really would. But I can't."

"Why not?"

"I'm sorry. It's nothing personal, I just . . . can't tell you."

"Can't tell me _what?"_ Suddenly Waterpaw wished he hadn't asked. He hadn't gotten his question answered, and now he had hundreds more.

"I'm sorry," Mudtail repeated. "I need to get back to camp. Are you coming with me?"

Waterpaw shook his head. "No."

"Well, bye then," his father mewed with forced cheerfulness. "I'll see you later."

Waterpaw sighed, laying down on the grass with his head on his paws. He'd tried to ignore the fact that the whole Clan was keeping it from him, but now he couldn't any longer. How had Owlstare died?

Suddenly he realized something. He could just ask her the next time she appeared to him. _Why didn't I think of that?_

Suddenly more confident, he got up, hurrying to catch up with his father.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_Waterpaw stretched in his nest as_ the first light of dawn cast milky streaks in the sky. He'd gotten no sleep at all last night, despite spending the whole night trying with few disruptions. It seemed that the less he slept, the harder it was to get to sleep in the future.

The apprentice quickly ran his tongue over his fur, grooming it in rhythmic strokes. When it was neat enough for the day, he stood up in his nest. His denmates were among the worst as far as staring; Waterpaw stepped carefully around the sleeping bodies of Robinpaw and Fishpaw as he left the cave, being careful not to wake them. After a quick stop at the dirtplace, he then headed back up the trail toward the warriors' cave.

Unsure how this multiple mentors thing was going to work, he decided that the safest thing to do would be to wake Snowspots. But as he picked his was across the sandy den to rouse the sleeping she-cat, Windfur raised his head.

"Waterpaw? Is that you?" he whispered, although he already knew that it was.

"Yes," the apprentice hissed back. A couple of the warriors began to stir.

"I'll be there in a moment. Badgerstar asked me to take the first shift."

"Okay." Waterpaw dipped his head in the semi-darkness and left the den. But the way that Windfur had referred to his part of Waterpaw's training as a "shift" unnerved him. He made it sound as if he would be training _constantly, _the way a watch was set over the camp at all times. For all he knew, that _was _what Badgerstar had in mind.

In theory Waterpaw should be able to handle it. He had never before felt the sensation of being tired, and that didn't seem about to change. But could he really handle training around the clock?

"You ready?" Windfur had just appeared behind him.

Waterpaw jumped. Absorbed in his own thoughts, he hadn't been aware of the sandy-colored tom's approach. "Yeah," he meowed.

"Let's go then."

Instead of taking the zigzag path out of camp, Windfur headed in the opposite direction, bounding over the Rockpile to where the gorge extended on the other side. Waterpaw followed behind him curiously. He hadn't been this way before; he and Snowspots had mostly focused on the forested part of the territory so far, and this place wasn't near any of the borders except at the top of the cliff.

Here the ground was littered with branches and twigs, things that had been removed from the camp. The cliff was steep on the right, but on the other side it rejoined the higher ground more gradually, opening out in a curved bowl shape that was scattered with large boulders. Occasional trails suggested that prey came here regularly, though not a lot of it.

"All right," Windfur meowed after the camp was out of sight. "Any place is good." He sat down and tucked his tail over his paws, motioning for Waterpaw to do the same. "Now, Badgerstar asked me to focus on defensive battle moves, since looking after yourself is the top priority if you're going to go on a dangerous journey. What have you and Snowspots covered as far as battle training?"

"Not a lot," Waterpaw mewed. "A bit of basic offense, and three moves."

"All right, show me what you can do."

Waterpaw rolled onto his back, raking his claws though an invisible enemy's fur and landing on his feet again. Next, he combined his other two moves, both of them considerably more complicated. He leaped into the air, twisting as he leaped over his imaginary opponent and snatching at its fur midair; he then rolled as he landed, ending up on his feet with his claws extended.

"I like your form," meowed Windfur. "Was that the three?"

Waterpaw nodded, glad the sand-colored tom was impressed. "Snowspots says she'll teach me how to land on the enemy's back after I do the roll," he boasted.

"That's exactly what I was thinking. Why don't we do that?"

"Okay!" Waterpaw chirped. Even though he'd been looking forward to Snowspots teaching him, he supposed it didn't really matter what mentor taught him the move, as long as he learned it.

"All right, now the trick is in the timing and the angle. As you roll—" he demonstrated as well as he could without gaining any speed— "you're going to spring _back _and hopefully land on the enemy's back." He jumped sideways as he spoke, landing clumsily at the awkward angle. "It'll be easier if there's actually an enemy to land on," he apologized.

"Okay," Waterpaw mewed. "Can I try it?"

"Sure. I'll hopefully be in the right position for you when you land, so don't mind me."

Waterpaw dashed forward a few paces, gaining momentum for the roll. He jumped sideways, letting out an involuntary grunt as his side made contact with the ground. Then he jumped sideways again, reversing his direction and launching him at an angle into the air. Windfur's lean shape darted underneath him, and Waterpaw involuntarily flipped right side up to land on the pale brown tom's back with all four paws.

"Good!" Windfur panted. "That was really good for your first try. Let's try that a couple more times, and then we'll see if you can do it with me standing still. If there's time, we'll try it with me running toward you. How's that sound?"

"Hard," Waterpaw mewed. "But fun!"

"Well, good," Windfur meowed gladly. "You ready?"

Snowspots was impressed by Waterpaw's newly-learned fighting technique that afternoon. She speculated that Windfur must be a very good mentor, to which Waterpaw promptly responded that he was. Waterpaw was glad to have two such good mentors training him—four, hopefully.

After the sharing of tongues that evening, Badgerstar called a Clan meeting. He announced that Shadowpaw, Stonepaw, and Redpaw were ready to become apprentices, and he gave them their mentors: Whitewillow, Dewdrop, and Redmist, respectively.

Waterpaw was a little disappointed that he wouldn't get to train with his adoptive littermates. He'd been looking forward to training alongside them once they became apprentices, but now that Badgerstar had moved Waterpaw into the fast lane, it was clear that that would rarely be an option, if ever. _Why does the prophecy have to make it impossible to live at least part of a normal life?_

"Hey, Waterpaw." Briartail had come up behind him without his noticing. "Are you ready for another training session?"

"But—it's almost dark," Waterpaw mewed, confused.

"I know. Badgerstar said you should be training for as much of the day as possible, including at least part of the night," the tabby-and-white tom explained. "Bet you haven't had much of a break today, huh?" he mewed apologetically.

"Not really," Waterpaw admitted.

"You holding up okay? Tired at all?"

"Not tired, but just...tired of training, is all. Like I just want a break so I can catch up, if that makes sense to you."

"I know how you feel. Why don't you take a rest and meet me out here after sunset?"

"Okay," Waterpaw mewed gratefully. He turned and bounded up the rocks to the apprentices' den. Fishpaw, Robinpaw, Redpaw, Shadowpaw, and Stonepaw were all in their nests already, apparently asleep, but as he entered the cave, Stonepaw raised his head and gave a reassuring nod before tucking his tail over his muzzle again.

At least he wasn't being stared at, which was a major improvement over the last day and a half. Waterpaw stepped around his denmates and curled up in his own moss-lined nest.

Even though Waterpaw didn't need actual sleep, he _could _benefit greatly from closing his eyes and letting his mind wander. And tonight it wandered to his mother.

He still wanted—and somehow felt he needed—to know how exactly she had come to be in StarClan. He still fully intended to ask her the next time he saw her, but so far he hadn't seen her at all. Of course it had only been one day, but he hoped he had a chance to ask her soon.

After what seemed like only a few minutes, Waterpaw sensed his tertiary mentor approaching. He looked up. The long-furred tom stood outlined in the cave entrance, the white patches on his fur illuminated in the gathering darkness. The pale gray apprentice met his gaze; Briartail mouthed, _let's go, _signaling with his tail for Waterpaw to follow him.

Sighing, Waterpaw rose from his nest, flicking a scrap of moss off of his shoulder, and followed the brown-and-white tom up the zigzag path and out of the camp.

Waterpaw didn't need sleep; it was true. But constant training was taking its toll on him, even before the first day was officially over. _But I'll adjust. I always will._


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_Birdsong echoed through the trees outside_ the ThunderClan camp as Hedgekit sniffed around the stone hollow. As a kit of nearly six moons, he knew every leaf, every stone, every branch in this camp, and it was up to him to check it regularly and make sure nothing was out of place.

To the dark tabby kit, the chirping of the birds as their calls echoed in the trees wasn't just an ambient noise that made the forest seem like home. He understood every word they were saying: the nearest one was chasing another chaffinch away from its nest; that one was calling for a mate, and at the edge of his hearing, a sparrow had just scented a dog and was crying out a warning. It wasn't just birds he could understand, either — he'd also heard mice and even dogs, and he guessed that he'd be able to understand others as well if he came across them.

He'd understood from a very young age that he was unique. Other cats couldn't understand the birds' songs; they were just noise, sounds that led them to their prey, and only other birds could understand what they said. Them, and Hedgekit. He hadn't told the rest of the Clan about his power; he liked knowing things that the other cats didn't. But he knew he had his power for a reason. He knew how prophecies worked. One day the Clan would be faced with a danger that would threaten their lives, and Hedgekit would be the only cat who could save them. He liked that feeling.

He could talk to the animals, too, he knew. Once, after listening intently to the birds' calls, his mother Moonblossom had asked him a question and his reply had come out as a chirp. A few of the warriors had gone mad trying to find the bird that had been stupid enough to stray into the camp. Occasionally since then, Hedgekit had intentionally mimicked a bird or a mouse just for fun. It was hilarious watching the warriors tear the camp apart trying to find the nonexistent piece of prey.

Hedgekit was considering doing it again right now, when Ivystar bounded out onto the Highledge and yowled the summons for a Clan meeting: "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the Highledge!" Hedgekit sighed. What was the matter now?

As the Clan began gathering in the clearing, he saw Moonblossom motioning to him to join her and his brother Hazelkit where they were waiting near the nursery. Hedgekit shook his head and found his own spot near the other side of the hollow. He was almost an apprentice — he didn't need to sit with his family anymore. Moonblossom shrugged and turned her eyes toward Ivystar.

"Cats of ThunderClan," the black-and-white she-cat began, "this morning the dawn patrol reported a fox on our territory near the WindClan border. I'll be sending out a patrol first thing tomorrow morning to chase it out."

Hedgekit could already see a few of the warriors flexing their claws in and out at the thought of a fight.

"On a more positive note," Ivystar continued, "two of out kits have reached their sixth moon."

Hedgekit perked up, surprised. He and Hazelkit looked at each other from across the clearing as the black-and-white-furred leader beckoned them with her tail. The tabby tomkit trotted forward, slightly dazed but with his head still held high.

He could hear his mother behind him, hissing, "Hedgekit, come back! Your fur's a mess — you can't go up in front of the Clan this way! Oh, why didn't Ivystar give me some warning?"

The young tom heaved an exasperated sigh and pointedly didn't turn his head to look at his mother. Didn't she see that some things were more important that his pelt? Like presenting a strong face to the Clan and showing that he was not to be messed with. He hopped between two warriors in the front row in what was supposed to be a graceful leap, but his paw slipped on a dead leaf as he landed, causing him to stumble awkwardly. Hedgekit's pelt burned as he regained his balance, ears flattened in embarrassment as some of the warriors purred in amusement. Hedgekit glared. They wouldn't be laughing when Hedgekit was the only cat who could save the forest from some mysterious danger!

He did his best to shake away the embarrassment as Ivystar began. "Hazelpaw, your mentor will be Stonefoot. Stonefoot, it is your duty to pass down your skills to Hazelpaw, to teach him the warrior code and the ways of a ThunderClan warrior. I trust you will bear this burden well."

Stonefoot stretched forward to touch noses with the newly named Hazelpaw. It would be Hedgekit's turn next. His whiskers trembled in anticipation and nervousness. Who would his mentor be?

"Hedgepaw, your mentor will be Finchfeather. Finchfeather, your task is to pass on the skills you have gained in this Clan and to teach Hedgepaw the honor of the warrior code. I trust that you, too, will bear this duty well.

"May you both become noble warriors of this Clan," Ivystar finished, bounding down from the ledge.

"Hazelpaw! Hedgepaw!" As his Clanmates called his brother's and his new names, Hedgepaw raised his head proudly. He was an apprentice! He bounded up to Finchfeather.

"What're we doing?" he asked eagerly, circling the gray-brown she-cat excitedly.

"Now?" She sighed. "Oh, why not. Why don't we try hunting?" she offered.

"Okay!" Hedgepaw raced for the camp's thorn barrier without pausing for his mentor to keep up; Finchfeather sighed and hurried after him, catching up a little way into the forest.

"Hold on!" she panted. "I'm supposed to be leading, remember? You don't even know where we're going."

"So where are we going?"

"I though we'd try near the abandoned Twoleg nest."

"See? Now I know," Hedgepaw teased.

Finchfeather sighed again and shook her head, leading him deeper into the forest. Hedgepaw pricked his ears, listening to all the rustlings and voices of prey. He'd never heard so many at once before!

At last they reached the Twoleg nest: a huge structure with straight sides that must have been sturdy once, but were now crumbling and full of holes. The roof looked about to cave in, and from the looks of it, something already had, given all the rubble that covered the floor when Hedgepaw tentatively peeked in through a gap in the side.

Finchfeather led him past the nest and a short way into the trees on the other side of the overgrown clearing. "All right, anywhere's good," she meowed with a sweep of her tail. "How about right here." She sat down on the dusty ground, and Hedgepaw did the same.

"Now, the first thing you need to remember about stalking a mouse is that it can feel the vibrations from your pawsteps through the ground..."

Finchfeather had sent Hedgepaw out alone to practice the crouch he'd learned on real prey; she'd be hunting on her own a short distance away. Hedgepaw tasted the air, but it was his ears that located a mouse scuttling among the leaves — the mouse was muttering to herself about how much she had to do before leaf-bare. Hedgepaw stalked up to her easily, pinning her to the ground. The mouse let out a startled squeak.

"Help!" the mouse screeched as she wriggled in his claws. "Cat! Help!"

Hedgepaw stared. He couldn't do this! It was a Clan cat's job to hunt and kill prey, but most Clan cats couldn't hear every word the prey said as it struggled in their claws in agony . . . Hedgepaw gulped. The thought of killing this mouse made him feel sick. Before he knew what he was doing, he had loosened his grip and the mouse dashed away, still squealing.

He just couldn't do this! He couldn't kill, not when he could understand the prey's every plea for help. It was like killing another cat. _How can I ever be a warrior if I'm too scared to even kill a mouse?_

But he didn't have time to think about it. A new scent had just drifted toward him on the breeze, attracting his attention. It had a tang of crowfood and blood, and it was nearby. He didn't realize _how _nearby until the animal appeared from the bushes. His breath caught. The elders had described that bright orange fur and pointed muzzle many times. There was only one thing it could be. Fox!


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_Lilacpaw sat patiently, waiting for her_ newly appointed mentor Rainsplash to finish using the dirtplace. Only the twitching of her tail gave away her restless excitement to begin her first day of training as a RiverClan apprentice. Her apprentice ceremony had taken place yesterday afternoon—Rainsplash had told her it was too late to train that day, but he'd promised they would go out first thing this morning.

Lilacpaw straightened up as Rainsplash returned from the dirtplace, rustling the curtain of reeds. Lilacpaw's paws were itching to be off, but she stayed seated calmly as she asked her mentor, "What are we doing today?"

"I thought I'd show you the borders," he meowed. "Sound good?"

"Yep," Lilacpaw replied cheerfully, jumping up and bounding gracefully after her mentor. She was excited to see what lay beyond RiverClan's camp. She could see a lot from there, but most of the territory was obscured by trees and brush. _What if I meet an enemy warrior? _Although she wasn't particularly keen on encountering a rival warrior, she _was _curious.

Lilacpaw had been told that she was much more likely to see a WindClan cat than ShadowClan. She gulped. She'd heard stories about WindClan warriors. Their paws moved in a blur that even the most quick-footed warrior couldn't match, and if they wanted, they could kill you before you could even lift a claw. The reason that she was more likely to see one was that apparently their territory was much more open than ShadowClan's. But if it was really as barren as the elders had described, what did they do all day? _Besides kill rival warriors, _Lilacpaw though with a nervous lurch, but still she had her doubts about whether the stories she'd heard were 100% true. Charredwhisker had said they slept in the open when it rained, and she didn't really believe that.

Thinking of being in the open, Lilacpaw knew her snowy white fur must be standing out like a daisy in a field of poppies. _So what? _This was her territory. Excitement blossomed in her chest at the thought of all of this being hers to explore. Soon she would know every pawstep of this land. RiverClan was by far the best Clan to be in. She had nothing against the other Clans—she hadn't even met them yet. She just couldn't imagine her loyalties going to anyone but her own Clanmates.

"Take note of this little copse of trees." Rainsplash spoke for the first time since setting out. "It's a good place for land prey, when fish are scarce in leaf-bare."

Lilacpaw couldn't help thinking that she'd prefer to starve, but she kept the thought to herself. She'd tasted a squirrel once; it had been on the fresh-kill pile for a few days and no cat seemed to want it, so she'd taken a curious nibble. The bitter taste had been enough to send her reeling back, hissing. She knew she should be more grateful that she _wouldn't _starve that leaf-bare, and maybe mice were better, but still. How did ThunderClan survive on that stuff all the time?

"From here you can see the stream that marks the border with WindClan," Rainsplash pointed out.

Lilacpaw glanced up. She stared at the barren hillside. It was _huge; _maybe RiverClan territory was just as big, but she could see all of WindClan's at once. The effect was intimidating. And the land really was wide open, nothing but hills and scrubby grass and the occasional flower or gorse bush. Tiny moving shapes dotted the hillside, and with a jolt Lilacpaw realized she was looking at enemy WindClan warriors. She shook her head. They couldn't do anything to her here. She squinted, trying to pick out the grays and browns of their pelts.

As they drew closer to the stream, she could begin to hear it, babbling over the rocks in the familiar gentle rhythm that could be heard throughout the RiverClan camp. This stream was a bit faster than the ones that enclosed the camp, swirling around the rocks with a stronger current and a noisier chatter. But still there was something about the sound of the water that made Lilacpaw feel at home.

The white-furred apprentice only half paid attention as Rainsplash showed her how to renew the border markers. She was staring out at the lake. From here it was only a short distance to the shore—and great StarClan, it was _huge! _Lilacpaw had never seen so much water in one place before. And was that distant line of green smudges on the far shore really a forest? She gazed at the sheep's-down clouds reflected in the water's surface, awed by the sheer volume of water. When she was a warrior, would she be able to swim all the way to the other side?

Something stirred in her memory as she looked down on it. She wasn't sure what.

Rainsplash was leading her down toward the water now; unconsciously she followed, still taking in her surroundings. RiverClan territory was a huge place—and there was so much more to see from here.

Now she could smell the water strongly, the breeze coming off the lake fresh and cool. The feeling of déjà vu returned, stronger this time. What was it about the lake that seemed so strangely familiar? She'd never seen it before.

She approached the water and stared down at her reflection. Pale purple eyes gazed up at her. Lilacpaw was the only cat she'd ever met with eyes like hers. Part of it made her feel special. She liked being unique, and they _were_ a pretty color. She just wished she wasn't stared at as much. She would have thought her own Clan would be used to it by now.

Out of nowhere, completely unrelated to her eyes, the source of the odd déjà vu came flooding back. It was that dream she'd had last night! That was why the lake seemed so familiar. As she struggled to recall the details, nervousness pricked at her fur.

She had been standing on this shore; it was nighttime, she thought. A gray tabby tom she didn't recognize had spoken to her in a grave tone. Hadn't he said something about Lilacpaw and four other cats each having some sort of special power because a prophecy? Lilacpaw gulped. She didn't want a special power. She didn't want to be responsible for the safety of all the Clans. _But I will, if I have to, _she told herself.

But how could she have forgotten the dream entirely? She almost always forgot her dreams by morning, but weren't dreams from StarClan supposed to be unusually vivid? While there was no doubt in her mind that the dream really was from her ancestors, the fact that she'd nearly forgotten about the dream was worrying. What if they told her something important, and she really _did _forget completely? She hoped they knew to tell one of the other cats in this prophecy instead.

And what _about _these other cats? If there had been four, she might have guessed that there was one from each Clan. But with five, they could come from anywhere. _I hope they're not all from RiverClan. I don't want to be the only apprentice in this. _Unless the StarClan tom had said four cats, not four others . . . Lilacpaw shook her head. There were too many questions without answers. And she hadn't even had a chance to wonder what in the name of StarClan this special power was!

Why did she have to sleep so deeply? If she had been more conscious during the dream, she could have asked the tom! _Maybe I did, and I don't remember, _she thought hopefully. She probed her memory for any more details she could recall from the dream, but she was drawing a blank. _There has to be more! _she thought desperately. But she couldn't remember anything else from the dream. She sighed. She could only hope that if she saw the tom again, she would be thinking straight enough to ask him some questions and to remember his answers.

"Are you all right?"

Lilacpaw jumped. She'd completely forgotten about Rainsplash. She nodded numbly.

"You sure?" the gray-speckled tom checked.

"I'm fine."

"All right, if you're sure." He still didn't sound convinced, but he led her further along the shoreline, explaining that they always left a margin of one fox-length between the lake and their scent markers, so that cats from the other Clans could pass through. Lilacpaw wasn't really listening. She kept thinking about the prophecy, and how much she didn't know. Her mind remained in a fog, unable to concentrate on her training.

The next thing she realized, she was in an unfamiliar-smelling place surrounded by tall conifers. She spun around. Rainsplash was nowhere to be seen. She tasted the air, her heart pounding harder with every second that passed. She was surrounded by a scent that she realized, with mounting horror, was not RiverClan at all.

She'd strayed onto ShadowClan territory! Lilacpaw's breath was coming in short gasps. She had no idea how to get back to her own territory. How could she have gotten separated from Rainsplash? Where was he? And how would she ever get out of here?

Just when she thought nothing could get any worse, Lilacpaw smelled a scent on the breeze. Several cats were approaching, and they all bore the distinctive odor that Lilacpaw now recognized as ShadowClan. She looked around and saw nowhere to hide. There was sparse undergrowth here, but none of it was near enough to do any good, except a couple of bushes in the exact direction the scent was coming from. Her heart was pounding so hard, she was amazed that the enemy warriors couldn't hear it. A shiver passed through her as the pawsteps drew nearer.

Now they were near enough that she could tell there were four of them. She pictured them marching through the forest—_their _forest—prepared to take down anything that dared stray across _their_ border. Even though she hadn't heard anything particularly nasty about ShadowClan the way she'd heard about WindClan, she still couldn't imagine getting away from there with her pelt still intact.

The bushes rustled. Lilacpaw squeezed her eyes shut and tried to stand perfectly still, hardly daring to breathe. She waited to her an enraged yowl and braced for claws in her fur. But it never came. The pawsteps were practically on top of her now, and still the patrol didn't even break stride. She took a risk and opened one eye.

The ShadowClan warriors were filing straight past her without even giving her a second glance. Lilacpaw gasped as a young tom looked in her direction, but he was only glancing at the sun behind the tree branches. He didn't even seem to see her.

One of them seemed to look straight at her, but only for a heartbeat before flicking her gaze to something else. Lilacpaw could hardly believe it! The ShadowClan warriors were walking straight past her without even looking at her.

Once they were past, she finally dared to breathe again. She glanced at her paws, wondering if she'd suddenly become invisible or something. She wasn't invisible, but what she did see made her jump half a tail-length in the air.

Her paws were pale brown, laced with twisted images of what she realized were the pine needles that lay strewn at her feet. She twisted around, realizing that the fur on her back had tiny, oddly distorted trees on it. She had no idea what had just happened to her, or how to make her fur white again.

Taking a guess, she closed her eyes and wished it were back to normal, concentrating hard. But when she looked down again, her paws were still the color of the ground. Trying again, she focused a short, sharp blast of energy on turning her fur white. A cold tingle passed through her fur, and when she looked down, her pelt was back to normal. Lilacpaw breathed a sigh of relief. _What was that?_

"Lilacpaw!"

The apprentice whirled around. "Rainsplash!" she cried in relief.

"Don't you _ever _run off like that again. I've been looking for you all morning! What were you thinking, going off like that?"

"I'm sorry!" Lilacpaw cried. She hadn't meant to get lost. "I—"

"Come on," Rainsplash growled. "Let's get out of here, and _then _you can apologize to Applestar for causing trouble for the whole Clan! What would have happened if you'd run into a ShadowClan patrol?"

Lilacpaw stared at the ground as she followed her mentor out of ShadowClan territory. She hadn't wanted to cause this much trouble on her first day as an apprentice. She repeatedly nodded her head as Rainsplash continued to rant. But her mind was elsewhere as she dashed across the dormant Thunderpath that marked the ShadowClan border.

_ What's going on? What just happened to me?_


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_Waterpaw bounded up the rocks after_ Ashbreeze, the smudgy gray she-cat leading him further down the gorge to the wide sandy pit where Windfur had taken him on his first day training with the pale brown tom. Waterpaw had gotten to know all his mentors in the moon that had passed since he started extra training. They were all quite friendly; Badgerstar had chosen well.  
But another thought weighed at the back of his mind. Eventually he would have to leave his Clan, to help some faraway cats fight . . . whatever it was. It was hard not to doubt himself when he knew so little about it. He couldn't leave his Clan—and yet he had to. He wasn't even sure _why _he knew it was important, not when his mind was telling him ThunderClan already had four cats to defend them, all of them probably stronger and more capable than he was. But he just knew. He couldn't ignore it.  
Waterpaw had once wondered how Owlstare had died, and planned to ask her the next time he saw her. Now, with a moon past and still no sign of her, that question was pushed to the back of his mind. He had dozens of more immediate questions he needed answered. But he couldn't ask any of them. Where was she? _For a while you were coming every time I had a tiny doubt about the prophecy! Can't you talk to me _once _so I can ask you some questions?  
_For the first time he wondered whether StarClan even _knew _the answers to all of his questions. But before he had time to consider it, he realized that Ashbreeze was talking to him. He started as the gray she-cat spoke sharply.  
"Waterpaw—Waterpaw! I asked you if you wanted to try the move. Were you even listening to anything I've been saying? How is staying awake ever going to help you if your head's going to be in the clouds the whole time you're on guard?" Most of the time Ashbreeze was a patient and friendly she-cat. But Waterpaw must really be stretching her patience today, and the young tom couldn't blame her. He'd been trying to pay attention, but he realized he hadn't really heard a word of what she said. Her comment about paying attention on guard really hit home, though, and he vowed to pay rapt attention from now on.  
"Not really?" Waterpaw mewed apologetically. "I'm sorry!" he added. "I'm just thinking about of things. It won't happen again." _At least, I hope it won't, _he thought guiltily. In the passing days, he'd found it harder and harder to focus on his training. Today was by no means the first time, and if he was honest, he knew it probably wouldn't be the last.  
Ashbreeze sighed exasperatedly. "See that it doesn't," she meowed wearily. "Now, I was saying . . . " She did a somewhat complicated twist in the air, snatching at the fur of an invisible enemy below her before landing on her paws. " . . . the move looks something like that."  
Waterpaw nodded, watching her movements closely and trying to focus, but his mind kept wandering. He sighed. Ashbreeze was right—he'd be no use on guard if he couldn't pay attention. Sighing again, he forced the prophecy from his mind, fixing his eyes on Ashbreeze and trying to pay attention to her movements.  
_I hope I get some answers soon. This can't go on for much longer._

That night, for nearly the first time since the young tom started his training, Waterpaw slept. The sleeping felt surprisingly good. He'd nearly forgotten what it felt like to rest his mind and escape from his worries about the prophecy for a short time.  
But it didn't last. The next thing Waterpaw knew, he was dreaming. He stood atop the Skyrock, shrouded in the same luminous mist that had surrounded him on the very first night when he'd learned about the prophecy. _The night all this trouble started, _he couldn't help thinking.  
A patch of the fog cleared, and a pale gray tom appeared. Waterpaw blinked. Where was Owlstare? _Is she angry at me? Or what if something's happened to her?_  
"Greetings," the tom meowed.  
"If you don't mind my asking . . . who are you?"  
My name is Shadowcloud. I was your mother's father."  
"Oh . . .!" Now that Shadowcloud pointed it out, Waterpaw could recognize his own pale gray pelt and tufted ears in his grandfather's. The only major different was their eyes: Shadowcloud's were yellow-green, not blue.  
"Where's Owlstare, though?" he asked. "Is she okay? Is she angry at me for something? What did I do?"  
"You didn't do anything. And Owlstare is fine. She has somewhere else to be; that's all. She's visiting another cat tonight."  
_Who? _Waterpaw wondered. But he didn't ask. The answer couldn't possibly be more important than the other questions he needed answered. Now was his chance; he didn't know how long it would be before he had another opportunity to ask the questions that had been nagging him for weeks. _I'm going to forget something important, _he guessed glumly.  
"So what _is _this prophecy? Owlstare told me a couple of things about it, but what does it actually say?"  
"That will be revealed to all five cats once you find the others," Shadowgaze meowed.  
"But—who are the others, and what are their powers?"  
"You'll find out when you meet them. Don't worry, you'll find them," he added before Waterpaw could protest.  
Waterpaw bit back a sharp reply. He had wanted to get answers to some of his questions, but so far all he'd been told was "you'll find out when you get there"! The young apprentice sighed. He'd keep asking until he got an answer to at least _one._  
"Tell me this, then: why five? Why does the prophecy include exactly one SkyClan cat and four ThunderClan cats? There has to be a reason."  
"There is." Shadowcloud took a deep breath. He looked Waterpaw in the eye. "You've been lied to."  
"Lied to?" Waterpaw was taken aback. Who could have lied to him, and why? _How big of a lie? _he wondered nervously.  
"Oh, not an intentional lie, of course." Shadowcloud flicked his tail dismissively. "Eagletalon didn't know any different, nor did the rest of the Clan. And Owlstare didn't have all the facts yet."  
"What _is _it?" Waterpaw pushed, growing impatient. He hated when cats tried to build up to something without giving any clues as to what they were actually talking about!  
"ThunderClan isn't alone. There are three other Clans just like it, on its borders. The prophecy involves one cat from each Clan—that's why there are five."  
"Ohhh," Waterpaw breathed. That made so much more sense. He wasn't bothered that he had been "lied to"—Eagletalon had only told him what she knew. He was just glad he'd learned the truth before he reached these Clans._ That could have been confusing._  
"So what is the danger that I have to help save—"  
As he spoke, something jabbed his side, and a voice called his name, penetrating the dream. "Waterpaw—Waterpaw, wake up!"  
Waterpaw groaned and turned over lazily in his nest, back in the apprentices' den. Morning light slanted in through the entrance, illuminating the shadowy cave. For a moment he could have forgotten the dream entirely, but then it all came back in a jarring flood.  
The one who had woken him was Briartail. The brown-and-white tom stood over him, still mewing, "Get up, it's time for training."  
Waterpaw pushed himself to his paws, stretching in his nest. "I'm coming," he grunted. The young tom wasn't used to waking up in the morning—most of the time he was already awake. _It's almost as if I'd forgotten how._  
An odd pang pierced Waterpaw at the thought of losing sleep in his life altogether. It wasn't as if he thought he needed to. _It's more like . . . like losing the ability to sleep would be like giving up the last trace of normal in me. _Putting it into words made the odd feeling even stronger.  
"Hey, Waterpaw, were you asleep?" Redpaw mewed curiously. Waterpaw jumped. He hadn't realized she was awake.  
"Yeah." Waterpaw shrugged, running his tongue over his tousled fur. "It does happen occasionally."  
"Oh." The silence grew awkward as Waterpaw continued to groom himself, the only sounds other than the echoing cries of the birds outside being the rasping of Waterpaw's tongue and the quiet snoring of Stormpaw. Fishleap and Robinfeather had been made warriors just over half a moon ago, leaving Waterpaw and his adoptive littermates alone in the den.  
After a long stretch of awkward tension, Waterpaw finished grooming himself; he stood up and left the den, flicking his tail in a goodbye to Redpaw as he left.  
Blinking in the bright sunlight, Waterpaw spotted Briartail near the fresh-kill pile and bounded down the rocky path to join him. The brown-and-white tabby looked up and nodded calmly as he saw Waterpaw approaching.  
"Grab a bite to eat," he meowed. "I was just looking for something myself. We can start training in a few minutes."  
Waterpaw prodded the small pile of birds with his muzzle, selecting a sparrow that was slightly less stale than the others. The fresh-kill pile hadn't yet been restocked for the morning; the hunting patrols would be back soon with more prey. Prey was getting scarcer and scrawnier, though, as leaf-bare approached, and he knew that fresh prey wouldn't always be a guarantee.  
Waterpaw shuddered, knowing that by the time leaf-bare reached its peak, he would likely be trekking across the mountainside. He had never seen snow before, but he'd heard enough about it to know that a blizzard was not good traveling weather. Yet he was sure that if he waited until leaf-bare was over, these other Clans would likely already be dead by the time he got there, and he wasn't trained enough to go sooner.  
The thought of these cats' lives somehow depending on Waterpaw was a sobering reminder of what he was dealing with. He didn't think the prophecy had felt any more real than it did at that moment. _I can't do it! _he wanted to wail. But he was sure he could. He had to, somehow. _I will, _he told himself.  
Wishing he could swallow his fears along with the last of the sparrow, Waterpaw rejoined Briartail near the foot of the cliff. His mentor smelled of squirrel. "Ready to go?" the brown-and-white tom asked him.  
Waterpaw nodded, pushing the sudden realization of the lives at stake from his mind as well as he could. His fears at least partially put at rest by the previous night's dream, he padded up the trail after his mentor.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_Hedgepaw stared at the fox, his_ eyes wide. He gulped. The fox curled his lip in a sneer.

"Lunch, I see," he muttered to himself, sounding pleased. He leapt forward without hesitation, growling, "Gotcha!"

Hedgepaw sprang backward just in time, his heart hammering in terror. "Wait!" he cried out without thinking; it came out as a bark.

The fox looked taken aback. In tits few brief moments of hesitation, Hedgepaw weighed his choices. All his instincts were telling his to flee. He knew that staying and trying to reason with the fox would be an incredibly stupid thing to try. But he couldn't pass up the opportunity to be a hero.

"Wait," he repeated in fox. His heart was pounding, but Hedgepaw kept his voice steady as he went on, "You can't kill me."

"Oh?" The fox seemed completely recovered from the shock of meeting a talking cat, though there was a trace of wariness beneath the look of contempt on his face. "And what are _you _going to do about it?"

"The—the rest of my Clan will kill you if you do!" He knew it wasn't true; the most they were likely to do was drive him off, even if he _did _kill an apprentice. But the fox didn't know that.

"Is that a threat?" he snarled.

"No," Hedgepaw replied innocently. "It's just the truth. Is one meal really worth your life?"

The fox narrowed his eyes. "How do I know you aren't bluffing?"

"You don't. You'll find out tomorrow morning, though. The Clan leader has already organized a patrol to drive you off at dawn. He could easily have them kill you instead." He was speaking rapidly now out of fear. What was he doing, talking to a fox? It could kill him with one snap of its powerful jaws if it wanted to. _Am I mad?_

_Yes, _he decided.

"So why are you telling me this?" the fox demanded.

"Because you don't have to be driven out at all. If you leave out territory before tomorrow morning, the Clan will leave you alone."

"Are you trying to bargain with me?" he snarled.

"No. I'm just telling you so you can decide whether you'd rather stay and fight—and you can't take on the whole Clan—or just leave, and save everyone the trouble."

The fox eyed Hedgepaw warily. "And if I leave your territory, none of you will go after me?"

Hedgepaw shook his head. "We won't lay a claw on you if you're outside out borders."

He turned to leave, but hesitated for a moment and finally turned back to face Hedgepaw. "One more question. How are you talking to me right now?"

"It's just something I can do," he said in a rush. He'd just scented Finchfeather approaching, quickly, and he really didn't want his mentor to find him conversing with a fox.

The fox had scented Finchfeather approaching as well, and seemed to sense that she was unlikely to be friendly. He gave a last nod to Hedgepaw and turned away, his bushy tail rustling the bushes as he disappeared.

"Do I smell fox?" Finchfeather's eyes were wide as she came crashing through the undergrowth to where the apprentice was standing.

Hedgepaw did his best to look terrified as he nodded, his eyes huge. "I think you must have scared it away. I thought I was fox food for sure!" _Well, it was true a few minutes ago. I hope she doesn't notice that the only fear-scent here is stale._

"It must be the one the dawn patrol reported seeing; at least I _hope _there aren't more than one. I wouldn't have expected it this far from the WindClan border. I'm just so glad you're okay!"

_There goes any freedom for the rest of my apprenticeship. She's as bad as my mother!_

"Come on; let's get you back to camp. Maybe Poppytail can give you something for the shock."

Hedgepaw didn't protest. He certainly was in shock, anyway. _I just drove a fox out on my own!_

The tabby apprentice circled drowsily in his nest. Poppytail had offered him poppy seeds to help him sleep, but he was tired enough this evening to sleep with no trouble at all. The sun was just beginning to set, casting the first pale pink streaks on the horizon below it.

He wanted to wait until Hazelpaw came back from training so he could brag about the fox—he hated not being able to include the part about him driving it off—but eventually his eyes grew too heavy for him to keep open, and he drifted into a heavy sleep.

After sleeping dreamlessly for a while, Hedgepaw found himself somewhere in the forest. The trees shivered as the dream-forest solidified around him.

A noise behind him made Hedgepaw look around. A tomcat with stars in his fur, a dark tabby like himself, was standing there, watching him.

"Who are you?" he asked the tom. For some reason, despite the grave hushed air of the dream and the foreboding expression in the tabby's eyes, Hedgepaw wasn't frightened. There was something about this strange cat that made Hedgepaw trust him immediately.

"My name is Hawktail. You wouldn't remember me—I joined StarClan before you'd opened your eyes." Pain showed in the starry tom's eyes at the sour memory.

Understanding dawned on Hedgepaw as he realized who this was: his father. He'd heard about his death, gone to join StarClan after a heroic fight with a badger when Hedgepaw and his brother were just a few days old. Although he was disappointed that he'd never gotten to know him, he admired the way that his father had given up his life for his Clan. Hedgepaw always wanted to die a hero, too.

"Listen," Hawktail meowed seriously. "I've come because you need to know something important, that will change your life. But you must still be prepared for the responsibility it brings."

_It's a prophecy, _Hedgepaw realized. _He'd come to tell me what I'm supposed to do with my power._

"You've always been aware that you were different. I think you may have even guessed that there was a prophecy, did you not?"

_Yes . . . yes . . . _Hedgepaw listened eagerly in mounting excitement.

"There is. You and four other cats will need to work together and save the forest. Each of you will have a unique power."

_Wait, what? _Hedgepaw was jolted out of his fantasy as if it had been burst like a bubble on the lake. He wouldn't be leader? Even worse, he wouldn't be alone? "B—but I thought I was going to lead ThunderClan!" he sputtered.

"Oh, Hedgepaw, Hedgepaw, Hedgepaw," his father sighed in exasperation, though the young apprentice thought that there was a hint of amusement there, too. "Ambition is a virtue in a great warrior, but it can be overdone. Be careful not to let it cloud your judgment."

"Fine. So what do I do?" _Being leader would have been so much simpler than helping some cats save the forest from _something _that I don't even know what it is,_ he thought resentfully.

"You'll know what to do when the time comes," Hawktail replied. His voice lowered. "I trust you, Hedgepaw. Defending all four Clans is no small task, and I can think of no better cat to do it than you."

_But I don't _want _to save all the Clans. I want to lead ThunderClan! _Maybe he could do both, he thought hopefully.

But there was still the issue of the others who were supposedly involved in this prophecy. He didn't want to share his part in it! "Who _are _these other cats, anyway?" he wondered aloud.

Hawktail shook his head. "I wish I knew. I do know that they are one apprentice from each Clan."

"Hold on. Didn't you say there were _four _others?"

"I did. I don't have time to explain it; it's nearly dawn. In fact, yes . . ."

Right on cue, Hedgepaw was jolted from sleep with a start. _How did he know that? _he wondered. It took him a moment to realize what had woken him: a paw prodding him in the side. He looked up to see Finchfeather standing over him.

"Coming," he muttered, sitting up and twisting around to start licking his back fur. Finchfeather nodded and turned around in the cramped space, leaving the den built from a dead yew bush.

Hazelpaw was gone, thought the scent in his nest suggested he hadn't been out for too long. Hedgepaw's thoughts strayed to the last time he'd caused a disruption in the camp; he'd imitated a starling, and his brother had been just as eager to find the nonexistent bird as any of the warriors, getting under every cat's paws. Hedgepaw's whiskers twitched at the memory.

_I haven't done that in a while. _The thought vaguely crossed his mind, and on any other day he might have trotted out into the clearing calling out in sparrow language. But this morning he wasn't in the mood. The prophecy weighed on his mind, the truth dampening his spirits. He'd been so sure it would promise that he would be leader.

He wouldn't even mind so much if he were saving the forest alone. But instead, he would be sharing the duty with four other cats—from the other Clans, no less. He still had yet to figure out where the fifth cat would come from.

Hedgepaw sighed, scanning the clearing for Finchfeather. It wasn't the end of the world. He would get used to it. _That doesn't mean I'm going to like it, but I'll do it._

_The Clan will respect me then, _he thought with mild satisfaction.


End file.
